Had lunch at the Brooklyn brauhaus “Buschenschank” with my Dad. I snapped a few pics because the light and his expression were just right. It was a fun experience painting my Dad just before Fathers Day. Long hours spent looking into his eyes, seeing the spark of life appear, touching his cheek with my brush. I guess this is one of the reasons I enjoy portrait painting — it is more about the process of painting and my relationship to the canvas as it evolves and less about the finished piece, which, after all, is just a painting.
Oil on cradled birchwood panel from “American Easel.” These come pre-primed with acrylic gesso. These are quickly becoming my favorite supports. My Dad actually bought this panel for me for my birthday. Ground was then toned with burnt sienna.
Palette and Supplies:
Design was sketched onto toned canvas with graphite pencil.
Background painted in with raw sienna, raw umber, burnt umber, chromatic black, flake white. First pass at face and hair. Added shadows to shirt.
Second pass at face and hair, deepening shadows and bringing up highlights. Some glazing. First pass at shirt. Never had much patience for the fine detail, so it remained a bit impressionistic. Finished up with some more glazes into background face and shirt. Oiled out once. Varnished. Dropped it in the mail to arrive on his doorstep by Fathers’ Day.
“Saul” (2016). Louis Cooper. Oil on Wood Panel. 12″ x 12″
You really captured some essence of him I feel.
Thanks Bro.